Security is You(th) Hackathon – Official Rules

1. Eligibility

• The Challenge is open to UK-based students, recent graduates and early-career professionals with up to three years’ experience in the security industry or a related field.

• You must be 18 or over to participate.

• This includes those working in frontline security roles, graduate programmes and other early-career positions.

• Participants may enter in teams of up to five people.

• Mixed-discipline teams are encouraged.

• Each participant must be registered in advance.

2. Team Formation & Participation

• Teams must be registered and confirmed in advance of the Challenge.

• All registered team members are expected to contribute actively to the development of their team’s solution.

• Teams may divide responsibilities between members as they consider appropriate.

• Any changes to registered team members must be agreed with the organisers in advance.

3. Competition Format

Day 1 – TUESDAY 13 October: Online Challenge Briefing

Participants will join an online briefing where the full Challenge will be revealed.

The briefing will:

• Introduce the Challenge scenario and supporting information.

• Explain the requirements and expectations.

• Confirm the presentation and submission requirements.

• Give participants an opportunity to ask questions.

No Challenge details will be released to participants before the briefing.

Day 2 – WEDNESDAY 14 October: Team Working Day

Teams will work independently to analyse the Challenge and develop their proposed solution.

Teams may make reasonable assumptions where information is incomplete, but these should be clearly identified and explained.

Final presentation materials must be submitted to the organisers by 4:30pm on Tuesday 14 October.

No changes may be made to the submitted presentation after the deadline.

Day 3 – THURSDAY 15 October: Live Presentations & Judging

Teams will present their solutions in person to a panel of security industry judges.

Each team will have:

• 20 minutes to present their solution

• 10 minutes for questions from the judging panel

Teams will be scored on their live presentation and their responses during the Q&A.

All team members are encouraged to participate in the presentation and/or Q&A.

4. Challenge Requirements

Teams will be expected to respond to the scenario presented during the Challenge briefing and develop a clear, practical and well-reasoned solution.

There is no single correct answer.

Teams are encouraged to demonstrate:

• A clear understanding of the scenario and associated risks.

• Appropriate identification and prioritisation of threats and vulnerabilities.

• A coherent and proportionate response.

• Consideration of operational realities and constraints.

• Clear reasoning behind key decisions and recommendations.

• Consideration of both immediate requirements and longer-term resilience.

5. Judging Criteria

Teams will be assessed on:

Understanding of the Challenge – How well has the team understood the scenario, threat and wider context?

Risk Identification & Prioritisation – Has the team identified the most significant risks and prioritised them appropriately?

Quality of the Solution – Is the proposed approach coherent, effective and proportionate?

Operational Practicality & Feasibility – Could the solution realistically be implemented?

Business Continuity & Resilience – Does the solution enable the organisation to continue operating while managing the identified risks?

Innovation & Judgement – Has the team demonstrated independent thinking and sound professional judgement?

Presentation & Communication – Is the solution communicated clearly and convincingly, and can the team explain and defend its decisions during Q&A?

Judges will assess the overall quality of each solution rather than looking for a predetermined answer or structure.

6. Submission Guidelines

• Final presentations must be submitted by 4:30pm on Tuesday 14 October.

• Presentations should contain all material the team intends to present to the judging panel.

• Teams are responsible for ensuring their presentation is complete and submitted in a usable format by the deadline.

• Late submissions may not be accepted.

• Presentations will be compiled by the organisers in advance of the live event.

7. Use of AI & External Resources

Teams may use publicly available research and resources to support their work.

Where generative AI tools are used, teams remain responsible for the accuracy, quality and originality of their final submission and should be prepared to explain and defend their analysis and recommendations.

AI-generated content should not replace the team’s own analysis, professional judgement or understanding of the Challenge.

8. Prizes

• The highest-scoring team will receive a package of ASIS and industry-related prizes.

• Additional prizes may be awarded at the discretion of the organisers.

• All participants will receive a certificate of participation.

9. Code of Conduct

Respect & Collaboration – All participants must engage professionally and respectfully with fellow participants, organisers, judges and volunteers.

Original Work – Teams must submit work developed for the Security is You(th) Innovation Challenge.

Confidentiality – Challenge materials are provided solely for the purposes of the competition and should not be shared publicly during the Challenge.

No Plagiarism or Misconduct – Plagiarism, cheating or other serious misconduct may result in disqualification.

Timekeeping – Presentation and submission deadlines will be strictly observed to ensure fairness across all teams.

Judges’ Decisions – The decisions of the judging panel are final.

10. Post-Event Opportunities

• Winning solutions and participating teams may be featured through ASIS UK communications and industry publications.

• Participants will have opportunities to network with security professionals, employers and other members of the security community during the in-person event.

11. Contact & Support

For questions relating to the Challenge, please contact:

securityisyouth@asis.org.uk